Theme: Stoker’s emphasis on how women in the Victorian Society should behave.
Throughout the novel Dracula, Bram Stoker emphasizes greatly on the behavior of Victorian women and how other men sees that behavior. At this point of the story, Lucy has fully gone through a transition of changing into a vampire. As soon as she has reborn into the “Vampire Lucy,” her personality is more to the contrary to how a typical Victorian woman should behave. “Come to me, Arthur. Leave these others and come to me. My arms are hungry for you. Come, and we can rest together. Come, my husband, come!” (Stoker 188) Lucy is advancing towards Arthur with an outstretched arm, trying to attract him with sweet tone in her voice. This onward and dismissive action contradicts a modest, virginal women. This theme is significant because it emphasizes the roles and strict standards which women of the Victorian society were expected to follow to be considered normal and acceptable. If she failed to follow the rules, she became and outcast and her reputation was condemned. Lucy is very intriguing because she portrays the contrasting behaviors of an acceptable and unacceptable Victorian woman in one character. Before she becomes a vampire, she represents the typical Victorian woman; helpless, obedient, virtuous, etc. But when she is bitten by Dracula, she transforms into a whole new being, completely opposite from who she was originally. This metamorphosis Lucy goes through in the novel isn’t just an interesting plot, but it represents something significant. It represents the inner side of women, maybe not all, but some women like Lucy’s inner side. And Dracula’s bite freed her from all the chains of expectations of the Victorian society, bringing out the true inner side of Lucy / some Victorian women, they’ve been forced to hide due to society’s standards. In addition, it may also represent Victorian men’s fantasies. Due to the general aura of Victorian society, people behaving accordingly with proper manners and being virtuous, it is only natural to come to a theory that men also suppressed their inner desires. Men in the Victorian era were forced to restrain themselves from showing too much affection towards women but I’m sure no one really enjoyed that. Lucy’s transformation symbolizes Victorian gentlemen’s inner fantasies in contrast to shy, virginal, quiet women of the Victorian society. Stoker often uses the word ‘voluptuous’ in the text, that also supports the notion that Lucy’s transformation and other evidences such as the three seductive vampire women in the beginning of the novel, represent men’s fantasies.
Critical Passage
"But Arthur never faltered. He looked like a figure of Thor as his untrembling arm rose and fell, driving deeper and deeper the mercy-bearing stake, whilst the blood from the pierced heart welled and spurted up around it." (Stoker 192)
The characters decided Arthur to be the right person to kill the Un-dead vampire Lucy, and he uses the traditional way, by stabbing a stake through her heart. Once Lucy finally dies, she finally reaches a terrible end. After such devastating end of Lucy, Lucy regains her human-beauty and she gets back her original face. This particular passage is significant, because by this scene, the Un-dead vampire Lucy is gone, and all curiosities are solved. At first, the four men did not want to believe in the superstition of the fact that Lucy lost her purity and transformed into a monster-being. However, as soon as they saw her face change back and visualized Lucy regaining her beauty, the four men finds out that the actual truth can not always be found out by Western Science, and it can not always be solved logically.
Literary Devices
Imagery
"When Lucy, I call the thing that was before us Lucy because it bore her shape, saw us she drew back with an angry snarl, such as a cat gives when taken unawares, then her eyes ranged over us. Lucy's eyes in form and color, but Lucy's eyes unclean and full of hell fire, instead of the pure, gentle orbs we knew. At that moment the remnant of my love passed into hate and loathing. Had she then to be killed, i could have done it with savage delight. As she looked, her eyes blazed with unholy light, and the face became wreathed with a voluptuous smile. Oh, God, how it made me shudder to see it! With a careless motion, she flung to the ground, callous as a devil, the child that up to now she had clutched strenuously to her breast, growling over it as a dog growls over a bone..." (Stoker 188)
This passage is very visually descriptive, drawing a sense of imagination for the reader of how Lucy is going through a metamorphosis of vampire Lucy. Her eyes are glowing with fire, eager to take away blood. There is no sense of love or pleasantness in her face. As a reader reads this passage, they can feel how intense Lucy became, and how she is strongly contradicting the proper behavior of a Victorian woman.
Simile
"I suppose a cry does us all good at times, clears the air as other rain does. Perhaps it was reading the journal yesterday that upset me, and then Jonathan went away this morning to stay away from me a whole day and night, the first time we have been parted since our marriage." (Stoker 162)
This passage is involves comparisons between unlike things using 'as other'. This is one of Mina Harker's journal entries, and she is writing in her journal while waiting for Dr.Van Helsing to come and discuss about Jonathan's trouble and Lucy's last illness. Mina has been upset since she found out about her husband's trauma from his diary, and about Lucy's death. She cries all day and night. A cry is compared to the rain, and crying will make Mina feel better. After raining, the air is much cleaner and lighter. As such, Stoker used the verb 'crying' to the noun 'rain' to explain that Mina's emotion will be better if she cries out.
Reflection
Overall, our discussion went pretty fluently. At first, I was very nervous, because our section of the book didn't involve much settings and events. However, we did have some significant events. Many people supported our discussion by answering questions with specific examples and textual evidences from the book. We also prepared an activity, where people had to be divided into 3 groups and act out each of their themes in their sections. I thought people would get distracted and not participate in our activity. However, it was different. We gave them about 10 minutes to prepare for role playing, and all 3 groups did a great job. They tried to do their best with enthusiasm and were eager for the prize. Throughout our rest of the discussion that was continued after spring break, even though it has been a long time since they remember the story, students were participating well. Due to such comfort, it was also easy for me to continue on the discussion by calling on people, and leading one question to another fluently. Overall I believe our discussion was a well-done, and the effort our group showed on our discussion.
Theme: Stoker’s emphasis on how women in the Victorian Society should behave.
Throughout the novel Dracula, Bram Stoker emphasizes greatly on the behavior of Victorian women and how other men sees that behavior. At this point of the story, Lucy has fully gone through a transition of changing into a vampire. As soon as she has reborn into the “Vampire Lucy,” her personality is more to the contrary to how a typical Victorian woman should behave. “Come to me, Arthur. Leave these others and come to me. My arms are hungry for you. Come, and we can rest together. Come, my husband, come!” (Stoker 188) Lucy is advancing towards Arthur with an outstretched arm, trying to attract him with sweet tone in her voice. This onward and dismissive action contradicts a modest, virginal women. This theme is significant because it emphasizes the roles and strict standards which women of the Victorian society were expected to follow to be considered normal and acceptable. If she failed to follow the rules, she became and outcast and her reputation was condemned. Lucy is very intriguing because she portrays the contrasting behaviors of an acceptable and unacceptable Victorian woman in one character. Before she becomes a vampire, she represents the typical Victorian woman; helpless, obedient, virtuous, etc. But when she is bitten by Dracula, she transforms into a whole new being, completely opposite from who she was originally. This metamorphosis Lucy goes through in the novel isn’t just an interesting plot, but it represents something significant. It represents the inner side of women, maybe not all, but some women like Lucy’s inner side. And Dracula’s bite freed her from all the chains of expectations of the Victorian society, bringing out the true inner side of Lucy / some Victorian women, they’ve been forced to hide due to society’s standards. In addition, it may also represent Victorian men’s fantasies. Due to the general aura of Victorian society, people behaving accordingly with proper manners and being virtuous, it is only natural to come to a theory that men also suppressed their inner desires. Men in the Victorian era were forced to restrain themselves from showing too much affection towards women but I’m sure no one really enjoyed that. Lucy’s transformation symbolizes Victorian gentlemen’s inner fantasies in contrast to shy, virginal, quiet women of the Victorian society. Stoker often uses the word ‘voluptuous’ in the text, that also supports the notion that Lucy’s transformation and other evidences such as the three seductive vampire women in the beginning of the novel, represent men’s fantasies.
Critical Passage
"But Arthur never faltered. He looked like a figure of Thor as his untrembling arm rose and fell, driving deeper and deeper the mercy-bearing stake, whilst the blood from the pierced heart welled and spurted up around it." (Stoker 192)
The characters decided Arthur to be the right person to kill the Un-dead vampire Lucy, and he uses the traditional way, by stabbing a stake through her heart. Once Lucy finally dies, she finally reaches a terrible end. After such devastating end of Lucy, Lucy regains her human-beauty and she gets back her original face. This particular passage is significant, because by this scene, the Un-dead vampire Lucy is gone, and all curiosities are solved. At first, the four men did not want to believe in the superstition of the fact that Lucy lost her purity and transformed into a monster-being. However, as soon as they saw her face change back and visualized Lucy regaining her beauty, the four men finds out that the actual truth can not always be found out by Western Science, and it can not always be solved logically.
Literary Devices
Imagery
"When Lucy, I call the thing that was before us Lucy because it bore her shape, saw us she drew back with an angry snarl, such as a cat gives when taken unawares, then her eyes ranged over us. Lucy's eyes in form and color, but Lucy's eyes unclean and full of hell fire, instead of the pure, gentle orbs we knew. At that moment the remnant of my love passed into hate and loathing. Had she then to be killed, i could have done it with savage delight. As she looked, her eyes blazed with unholy light, and the face became wreathed with a voluptuous smile. Oh, God, how it made me shudder to see it! With a careless motion, she flung to the ground, callous as a devil, the child that up to now she had clutched strenuously to her breast, growling over it as a dog growls over a bone..." (Stoker 188)
This passage is very visually descriptive, drawing a sense of imagination for the reader of how Lucy is going through a metamorphosis of vampire Lucy. Her eyes are glowing with fire, eager to take away blood. There is no sense of love or pleasantness in her face. As a reader reads this passage, they can feel how intense Lucy became, and how she is strongly contradicting the proper behavior of a Victorian woman.
Simile
"I suppose a cry does us all good at times, clears the air as other rain does. Perhaps it was reading the journal yesterday that upset me, and then Jonathan went away this morning to stay away from me a whole day and night, the first time we have been parted since our marriage." (Stoker 162)
This passage is involves comparisons between unlike things using 'as other'. This is one of Mina Harker's journal entries, and she is writing in her journal while waiting for Dr.Van Helsing to come and discuss about Jonathan's trouble and Lucy's last illness. Mina has been upset since she found out about her husband's trauma from his diary, and about Lucy's death. She cries all day and night. A cry is compared to the rain, and crying will make Mina feel better. After raining, the air is much cleaner and lighter. As such, Stoker used the verb 'crying' to the noun 'rain' to explain that Mina's emotion will be better if she cries out.
Reflection
Overall, our discussion went pretty fluently. At first, I was very nervous, because our section of the book didn't involve much settings and events. However, we did have some significant events. Many people supported our discussion by answering questions with specific examples and textual evidences from the book. We also prepared an activity, where people had to be divided into 3 groups and act out each of their themes in their sections. I thought people would get distracted and not participate in our activity. However, it was different. We gave them about 10 minutes to prepare for role playing, and all 3 groups did a great job. They tried to do their best with enthusiasm and were eager for the prize. Throughout our rest of the discussion that was continued after spring break, even though it has been a long time since they remember the story, students were participating well. Due to such comfort, it was also easy for me to continue on the discussion by calling on people, and leading one question to another fluently. Overall I believe our discussion was a well-done, and the effort our group showed on our discussion.